Sand Castles
by AlwaysEverlark
Summary: Summary: What would happen if instead of the bread, Peeta had given hope to Katniss otherwise? Submitted for Prompts in Panem: Language of flowers. Day 1


It had been idea of her younger sister, Primrose, and there was nothing that Katniss could not deny to 8-year-old Prim. Not after the death of his father which caused that her mother vanishing from the real world. So Prim was Katniss whole world.  
Everything started when, one day, returning from school, they passed near the bakery. That was not strange, because almost every week, if the baker's wife was not attending to customers, they stopped at the window to see the cakes that were displayed. Although they were one of the few families of The Seam that didn't starved thanks to the meat that Katniss brought by hunting, they had no money for such extravagance.  
However, that Monday Katniss didn't have time to stop and observe the small artworks. That Monday Katniss needed to go through the shoe shop to collect the old and worn out hunting boots of his father. The repair had cost her a couple of rabbits and the promise of the first wild turkey of the season. But Prim was not going to make it easy.  
"Please Katniss" the little girl said again, "I'm older now and I can take care of myself."  
"Prim, you're only eight years," her elder sister repeated reluctantly.  
"Nearly nine" Prim reminded her because her birthday was in two weeks "how about a pre-birthday gift?"  
"That's blackmail, Prim …" But when she saw her sister's smile she could do nothing but accept."But you have to promise me that you'll stay next to the stairs all the time, and that if you see the witch in the bakery, you will go to the fountain in the square till I pick you up. Do you understand? If you disobey me, there will be no more gifts".  
Prim excited nodded her head, it was the first time that Katniss treated her as an "adult." They approached cautiously to the bakery. When they saw that was Mr. Mellark, the one who was assisting clients today, they breathed a sigh of relief.;  
"Prim, wait me here, I'll be back in fifteen minutes."  
Katniss ran to the shoe shop, which was relatively close, about two blocks away, and truth be said, blocks in District 12 weren't very large. On the way there she could only think that maybe it wasn't a good idea to leave Prim alone and that she should not have let herself be talked into this. Back from the shoeshop, with her boots in her hand, she thought what was she going to buy to Prim for her birthday. She had seen several things but what she liked the most were some pink ribbons she had seen in The Hob. Prim loved ribbons and she would look lovely with them…  
Her thoughts suddenly stopped when she turn around the corner. She saw her sister, thank God, in the place where they agree on. But she was not alone.  
A blond boy, the same age as Katniss was standing with her. Peeta Mellark was the little baker's son and they knew each other because they were in the same grade, although they had not spoken since kindergarten. It upset Katniss that Prim was talking with a Merchant, even if that Merchant was a nice boy as Peeta. They belonged to The Seam.  
"Prim, let's go" Katniss said as she approached them, without taking a second look at the boy.  
Prim looked at her uncomfortable. She, despite her age, had better manners than her sister.  
"Hello Katniss, I was talking to Peeta. I think you have met him before"  
Katniss nodded, still not looking at the boy. "Hello Katniss" Peeta said, regardless of the indifference of her class mate. With the sound of his voice, Katniss turned and looked into his eyes.  
«How was that she had never realized how blue were his eyes?» She thought. They looked radiant and intense like a blue summer day, when the sky is so blue that seems almost indigo.  
Embarrassed she flushed and quickly looked up at her sister again beckoning to say good-bye and leave. But the boy spoke again.  
"Prim would you like a cookie?" He said holding out a chocolate chip cookie. Before Katniss could say no, Prim had grabbed it and looked at it entranced, she did not remember the last time she had eaten one. Peeta kept talking but this time with more shyness "Katniss, this is for you."  
"I don't want it" she said angrily, "We cannot afford it."  
"Never mind, It's a gift," Peeta said with sadness in his voice and bringing the cookie closer to her again.  
Katniss stubbornly shook her head. Her mouth watered but she did not want anyone to notice that detail.  
"Peeta thanks, but if Katniss does not accept it, I shouldn't either," Prim said, with a sigh and a tear fell slowly down her cheek.  
"All right! I'll take the damn cookie" Katniss said brusquely, taking it from Peeta's hand.  
Their fingers touched for a moment and she could feel his shaking, which she didn't understand. The pleasant tingle she felt at the touch of his fingers was also something she didn't understand.  
"Thank you, Peeta" Prim said, before leaving. Katniss, though, left without saying nothing and before he could answer them.  
On the way home, Prim could not stop talking about the cake that was exposed today as she ate the cookie, bit by bit.  
"Katniss, it was beautiful! Peeta explained that he had copied from a book where you could see pictures of all the districts. That is a beach like the ones it District 4. The sea is beautiful, isn't it? It's blue and green … and it has to be fun to play in the waves. Have you ever seen the ocean?"  
"No, Prim, I've never seen it".  
"I would love to see the ocean."  
"Listen Prim" Katniss said trying to divert her attention "What do you want for your birthday?" Fortunately, Prim took the bait and began to talk about everything she would like. "Okay little duck, Why don't you think about your present tonight and you tell me tomorrow?"  
But as soon as they arrived home and until they went to bed, she didn't stop talking about Peeta, the cookies, the cake, and the sea.  
The next day when Prim woke up she told her sister what she wanted for her birthday … and Katniss world's closed up on her. During the following days, her mood got worse because she could not glimpse how to bring the sea to Prim: she thought to take her sister to the lake that was out of district 12 but ruled it out because it could be dangerous for Prim, she thought about buying the cake, but she didn't have enough money saved, she even thought about stealing a book with pictures from the library …  
Furthermore, since the day of the cookies, Peeta greeted her everytime she saw her in the halls or in class. A smile always in his mouth, which further irritated her. Because of him, because of damn Peeta Mellark she was not going to be able to give her sister what she wanted.  
Just the day before Prim's birthday Katniss saw him in the hall. They were alone. She was late because that day was trying to hunt the turkey out of the fence and he seemed to have fallen because he walked slowly and limping. When he realized her presence, waved his hand to greet her, but she exploded:  
"Don't you dare say hello."  
"Excuse me?" Peeta said surprised, lifting his face to her, at that time she saw the bruise on his cheek.  
"I don't want to talk to you, so don't say hello to me anymore. Who do you think you are, messing with our lives? Since the other day at the bakery, when you showed her that cake, my sister can't talk about anything else, and now she wants to go to the sea, and she wants it for her birthday…"  
"When is it?" Peeta interrupted her. Katniss was so surprised by the interruption that did not react for a moment.  
"When is what?"  
"Prim's Birthday"  
"Tomorrow," she said bitterly.  
"I'll fix it, Katniss, trust me. I will think about something."  
"No, I don't want your help! "She cry out, as she turned and ran to class, without listening to anything more of what he had to say.  
The next day, Prim woke up early and excited but Katniss managed to not have to give her gift till that night. Maybe she would think something during the day, at least something better than the blue ribbon she had already bought.  
In the first class, Peeta dropped her a note, when he passed close to her: "Come to the auditorium at 12, I have to show you something."  
At the agreed time and against her will but taken by her curiosity, Katniss went to the auditorium. He was waiting for her at the door.  
"What do you want, Mellark?"  
"Wait and see," he said with a smile as he opened the door.  
The room was dark and she stumbled but Peeta took her in his arms before she fell and held her there for a moment.  
"Give me your hand, until I turn on the lights," he told her as he took her hand and helped her walk down the aisle."  
When they arrived, at what was she guessed was the stage, and stepped in she could feel under her feet, not the usual wooden floor but something softer. After climbing the stairs, he asked her to wait while he turned on the lights.  
She thought too about how she had enjoyed that brief moment, a moment that seemed too short.  
And suddenly the auditorium lighted up, and Katniss was astonished. The stage had become a beach: He had painted a beautiful sea and there was sand all over the floor, she also could hear seagulls and the wind and the waves … she was in the sea, in the ocean. And there was even a sandcastle.  
"Do You like it?" He asked hesitantly, "I've finished it this morning, I had to tell Miss Smitch that I needed to prepare a project for my science class, and … well, I've done a beach for Prim."  
Katniss was still looking around not believing what Peeta had painted.  
"If you don't like it, it's ok" he said mistaking her silence "it was was silly of me to think…, I mean I shouldn't …"  
But before he could finish, Katniss leaped on him and gave him a hug.  
"It's amazing Peeta, I don't know how to thank you" she said with tears in her eyes "And Prim is going to love it, really."  
"It was nothing really, it's been a pleasure to help … Prim."  
"By the way, you has also helped me … thank you very much Peeta" Katniss leaned and gave him a kiss on the cheek before running off to go and get her sister.  
But before heading out the door she turned back to the stage where Peeta was still looking at her with a hand on his cheek where she had kissed him.  
"Will you wait for me while I get Prim?" Katniss asked.  
Peeta stared at her before answering: "Always."


End file.
